Shortly after I joined the NRCS about twelve years ago, a retired NRCS Grazing Specialist by the name of Steve Hibinger was assigned to me to “show me the ropes.” One of the things he taught me about grazing in Ohio thas stuck with me all this time. If I could teach it to every… via […]
“How big should my paddocks/pastures be?” The answer involves some forage clipping, some weighing, and some math and Dave Scott explains it all here. Enjoy! Dave Scott’s Sheep RanchDave Scott and his wife own and operate Montana Highland Lamb (Home Grown & Happy) in Whitehall Montana. Dave is also a livestock specialist at ATTRA’s National […]
While there are many grazing systems, there are fundamental questions related to pasture management that are common to all of them: 1. How does residue height of vegetative grass influence pasture growth? 2. How does mob-stocking of mature grass influence pasture growth? 3. What is the effect of early grazing in the spring when grass is still short? […]
We have 70 days left until our average killing frost date. That means we’re starting to stockpile now to extend our grazing season, allowing pastures to grow so we won’t have to feed hay this winter. via We’re Stockpiling Now for Winter Grazing at Green Pastures Farm — On Pasture
Forage sampling in a standing pasture allows us to get a feed value estimate of forages that will be fed to livestock. It’s also helpful for making sure your forage is at the best stage for cutting hay. While you can look at it, checking the color, leaf to stem content, and the stage of […]
If you go to enough workshops about grazing, you’re bound to see an illustration that shows how biting off the tops of plants impacts their roots, and how if you graze short enough, the plant won’t have enough roots to rebound and produce more leafy material. In fact, if you’ve been with us at On […]
Electric fencing is fine. It makes it possible to be more flexible and versatile with our management and I recommend it without reservation. As one of the ads by one of the companies that sell power fencing products states, it will maximize grazing and increase profits, and without question, that’s what all of us who use […]
Dr. Matt Poore also contributed to this article. The tools to improve productivity that we have at our disposal are quite astonishing. Computers that allow us to analyze our operations, equipment used to plant/harvest crops to produce feed, and the genetic predictions used to select better livestock are just a few examples of tools that have […]
From March of 2017, Greg Judy’s tips for transitioning through mud season to good grazing. In just a few weeks it will officially be Spring. It’s the time when we start seeing a tinge of green grass poking its baby head up. Middle of March is also the normal time to have tons of mud […]
The authors start with four pieces of information that put the role of carbohydrate reserves into question. Then they share ideas for good grazing to work well with plant physiology. Chad Reid, Agricultural and Natural Resources Agent Iron County, Utah co-authored this piece with Beth. For years, managers used the carbohydrate reserve theory to decide when […]
